Desert Crossings

Presentation Film Part III, with extra footage of Siyaya!

desertcrossings — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:19:51 +0000

The third and final part of the Desert Crossings presentation film, with Grammy nominated musicain Steve Marshall of State of Emergency talking about his vision for the music for Desert Crossings. There’s also some extra footage of African performing arts company Siyaya, who opened WOMAD festival in Abu Dhabi this year: “The Shona name ‘Siyaya’ means ‘We are on the move’. This high-energy group of musicians, percussionists, vocalists and dancers have offered up some remarkable performances in recent years.”

(Director/Camera/Post: Dan Farberoff. Music: Steve Marshall. Choreography: Laila Diallo. Dancers: Anaish Parmar, Johnny Autin, Jake Nwogu and Georgina Pavey. Chreography/Music/Dance, Siyaya: Siyaya Arts)

Desert Crossings presentation part II

desertcrossings — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:41:06 +0000

As promised, the Desert Crossings presentation film, part II:

(Director/Camera/Post: Dan Farberoff. Music: Steve Marshall. Choreography: Laila Diallo. Dancers: Anaish Parmar, Johnny Autin, Jake Nwogu and Georgina Pavey.)

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Presentation delivered! 1st part of the Desert Crossings presentation film:

desertcrossings — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:10:51 +0000

State of Emergency artistic director Deborah Baddoo and filmmaker Dan Farberoff presented the case for Desert Crossings at the Eden Project yesterday morning. We thought it went well, and the decision now rests with the panel, and will be made public on the 22nd of Oct.

Here’s the first of three parts of our presentation film. Hope you enjoy it. The next part contains a short long-distance interview with choreographer Gregory Maqoma, and the third and final part has Grammy nominated, musician Steve Marshall speaking about his vision for the music for Desert Crossings; so stay ‘tuned’. We believe in this project and think it is different, unique and conveys an important message. Thank you all for your wonderful support.

(Director/Camera/Post: Dan Farberoff. Music: Steve Marshall. Choreography: Laila Diallo. Dancers: Anaish Parmar, Johnny Autin, Jake Nwogu and Georgina Pavey.)

UNESCO endorses Desert Crossings!

desertcrossings — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:22:12 +0000

“The Culture Committee of the UK National Commission for UNESCO lends its support to the Desert Crossings project as an exciting and innovative project linking cultural and natural heritage through the media of dance and film. By linking two very different, yet similar coastlines in the UK and Namibia, Desert Crossings puts the vastness of geological time into perspective while delving deep into what this means for human culture. A project of this scale can help to bring these issues to a mass audience, enabling people to engage at a deeper level with both science and culture – an unusual and important combination. We look forward to seeing the outcomes of this project and are happy to support it.”

Sue Davies, OBE, Chair of the Culture Committee of the UK National Commission for UNESCO, Chief Executive of the Wessex Archaeology

Neville Shulman, CBE, Vice Chair of the Culture Committee of the UK National Commission for UNESCO, President of the International Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute, Fellow of the Explorers Club and the Royal Geographical Society

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“At UNESCO we are always excited by opportunities for linking education, the sciences and culture in innovative ways, particularly through communication. We are also keen to develop relations around the world in a way that is meaningful to all. This project is a great example of an innovative way of doing precisely this. It suggests a link between our cultural and natural heritage and our present; our common humanity with South Africa and Namibia; skeletons of species alive today with the fossils of those species no longer with us. This is a wonderful opportunity to embed these messages in the minds of audiences around the world, and in the minds of children living near the Jurassic Coast, developing local understanding and therefore ownership of what all this means. We would be pleased to see this project realized.”

Walter R. Erdelen, Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences, UNESCO

Creating dance for the Jurassic Coast

desertcrossings — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 01:58:19 +0000

State of Emergency invite Bristol based choreographer Laila Diallo to create dance for the Jurassic Coast, as an initial stage of Desert Crossings.

New Photos!

desertcrossings — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:23:07 +0000

New photos by our brilliant photographer Kevin Clifford! Check them out on our flickr page: They are stunning!

We had some amazing weather for our Jurassic Coast film shoot. Iron red cliffs against deep blue skies. Magical. The dancers had spent the previous day at the Exeter Phoenix dance studios working with Bristol-based choreographer Laila Diallo. Laila is an independent dance artist who has made work for Channel4, Milan’s La Scala, London’s Royal Opera House and National Theatre, and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Desert Crossings creates performance inspired by and attuned to the landscape, and Laila’s dance sequences evoke the relationship of body to earth. There’s an interview with Laila, and more, on video – so stay tuned.

The red cliffs of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site are awe inspiring. Says Jurassic Coast’s Education Coordinator Anjana Khatwa Ford, an Earth Scientist with a Ph.D. in glacial geology: “…these rocks are part of the story of environmental change from 250 million years ago to 65 million years ago … geology is based on the fact that the past is the key to the present. We would not be in a position to talk about climate change and predicting our future if we were not able to look into the past…” Anjana also presents BBC4′s TV programme Fossil Detectives.

People have been leaving very considered comments in support of Desert Crossings on the Artists taking the lead site. Here are a few:

“Dessert Crossings is such a poignant project in this uncertain millennium and the voice of dance for the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad has a crucial part to play in our globalised world. We cannot hide from our past as it is just behind mapping our future. ‘Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy found in effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.’ ( Olympic Charter, Fundamental principles ). This project certainly gets my vote.”

“Dessert Crossings reminds us that we all have an ultimate common denominator of our connection with planet earth and we have chosen to ignore this relationship and are hence facing the consequences. This project brings a sense of hope and celebration of the possibilities of unity with each other and our environment. Portraying this message and raising awareness is crucial for the survival of future generations. A lovely concept.”

“I think the Desert Crossings project is fascinating, as it reaches across to ancient beginnings through the Jurassic geology and across continents. I think dance is the right kind of discipline to celebrate a sporting olympics where the individual body carries all our hopes and dreams. That State of Emergency promote diversity through their work seems very important. This project stands out and gets my vote.”

You can read more comments on the Artists taking the lead website and maybe leave your own comment, if you feel Desert Crossings’ message needs to be heard. Check out the information about Desert Crossings on this blog – read the About Desert Crossings page.

We have another filming day tomorrow, this time in London. All this work is going towards our presentation later this month. Only ten days left!

Small sigh of relief!

desertcrossings — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:41:58 +0000

Hooray!!! We finally crossed the t’s and dotted the i’s. The final application went in to the Art Council this afternoon.

Connections were being made right until the last minute. This is an amazing project! So many connections on so many different levels. It certainly resonates with a lot of people.

Great that weather is smiling upon us. Saturday we visit the beautiful Jurassic Coast for some artistic experiences!

Filming this weekend!

desertcrossings — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:44:00 +0000

We’ve all been very, very busy. This weekend we’ll be filming; the dancers are coming in from around the country; costumes have been made and sent down; cameras, lighting, sound, all is in place. Be prepared for some luscious HD video, which we will be posting very soon!

More brilliant comments on the Artists taking the lead website!

“Speaking as a geologist and a lover of film, music & dance, Desert Crossings has to be the choice!!”

“The spirit of the Olympics is bringing nations and people together, it’s Desert Crossings for me.”

“Has to be Desert Crossings – an inspirational idea that reflects the athleticism of dance and the multicultural and international nature of the Olympics. Landscapes and geology across the world – a fantastic creation!”

“Desert Crossings – deep, thought provoking and inspirational. It has boundless layers via the cross continental, community and cultural links and if bought to life, I think it could be sensational.”

Thank you all. We feel truly touched by how the Desert Crossings vision is inspiring others in the same way that it has inspired us. Keep spreading the word. If you haven’t yet left a message in support and feel that Desert Crossings should be selected to be one of 12 art projects at the London 2012 Olympic please do follow the link and have your say.

What they say about Desert Crossings…

desertcrossings — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:28:48 +0000

Desert Crossings celebrates a South West natural treasure. The Jurassic Coast is recognised as a World Heritage Site not merely for its stunning scenery; the exposed rocks along the coastline afford us a unique view into the Earth’s history, going back hundreds of millions of years to way before the dinosaurs. The person responsible for uncovering many of the stories hidden in these rocks is the amazing paleontologist Mary Anning. Born in Dorset in 1799, Anning made her first discovery when she was just twelve! She found the first complete skeleton of an ichthyosaur ever discovered. She went on to make many other important fossil finds along the Jurassic Coast, which revolutionised natural history. Until her time it was widely believed that animals did not become extinct. Taken all together, Mary Anning’s discoveries became key pieces of evidence for extinction, setting the stage for a real understanding of the history of life on Earth.

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A big thank you to all off you: the many, many people who are backing Desert Crossings! We’ve been receiving a lot of positive feedback, which makes us feel that this is a truly global project that truly belongs to the South West.

Here are a few of the many positive comments left in support of Desert Crossings:

“Desert Crossings is a most impressive and fascinating … This brilliant idea reminds us of the present fragility of our world and the urgent need to protect the earth and all living things … Desert Crossings is sure to be a success.”

“I have to put my support behind Desert Crossings as a genuinely cross cultural project on a scale which dance can rarely aspire to and involving both professional artists and the widest community in a range of experiences of art and life across two continents.”

“I’m most excited by State of Emergency’s project Desert Crossings.”

“What speaks to me is that Desert Crossings builds bridges between the two continents and promises to engage communities in a global conversation about universal hopes and dreams of a better world. More of this dialogue is sorely needed and Desert Crossing seems a perfect example to create greater awareness. It gets my vote!”

“Desert Crossings definitely.”

“Desert crossings sounds fantastic, for the cross continent/cross culture element … I think this one has the greatest potential for impact in regard to raising global awareness of what kind of world we would really like to live in. Could be really REALLY beautiful I think!”

You can read more comments on the Artists taking the lead website and maybe leave your own comment, if you feel Desert Crossings’ message of welcoming the world needs to be heard. Check out the information about Desert Crossings on this blog, read the About Desert Crossings page.

From Jurassic Coast to Desert Crossings

desertcrossings — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 19:56:55 +0000

Most biologists agree that we are now in the midst of a major man-caused mass extinction event. Some predict that as much as half of all species on the planet will disappear in the next 100 years! The Desert Crossings project aims to highlight our relationship to the environment, inviting renowned South African choreographer Gregory Maqoma to create artwork inspired by the South West’s Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. The Jurassic Coast covers 95 miles of truly stunning coastline with rocks recording 180 million years of the Earth’s history. This period includes three past major extinction events, most famous among them that of the dinosaurs 65m years ago. Desert Crossings intends to bring the Jurassic Coast’s landscape, its rocks and fossils, to life, as a way of engaging audiences in these important issues.

South African choreographer Gregory Maqoma, “a compelling globetrotting phenomenon”, is well placed to give a voice to this landscape. His latest piece Skeleton Dry is inspired by the Skeleton Coast of southern Africa, by its myths of bones and fossils, and of extinction. While Skeleton Dry “challenges one to reflect on life through its absence … where fossils have become the revelation of life that once was”, it invokes Ezekiel’s Biblical vision of the Valley of Dry Bones, which sees the bones come to life and life regenerated. It is this hope that Desert Crossings speaks of.

Amazingly, the two coastlines, the Skeleton and the Jurassic, are linked through time and geology to a distant past when all continents formed a single landmass and the South West of England was a desert. In the hot, arid climate, layers of fine, red, wind-blown dust settled in a patchwork of shallow salt-lakes and sun-baked mudflats. Remnants of this ancient desert still exist, exposed as red rocks along the Jurassic and Skeleton Coasts. As the continents drifted apart the two coastlines remained linked, through migration, trade, and shared histories of piracy and slavery which moulded the peoples and cultures of these two regions. Desert Crossings builds bridges between the two continents, tracing our shared memories and the Earth’s history through the sands of time. The stories they uncover will engage communities in a global conversation about universal hopes and dreams of a better world. It is a vision of regeneration which can only be achieved through cross-cultural collaboration, and Desert Crossings intends to bring this message to London’s 2012 Olympics.

Support our vision by leaving your comment for the selection panel on the Artists taking the Lead website. Let them know why you feel the Desert Crossings vision is important, and why Desert Crossings should be selected to be one of 12 arts projects at the London 2012 Olympics.

Check out the Jurassic Coast website, find out more about the current mass extinction in these articles by the BBC, the Guardian, and the Independent, and follow the link for more information about Gregory Maqoma .